A Dhaka court today placed Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, a defeated BNP candidate for Shariatpur-3 constituency, on a five-day remand in connection with a case for allegedly distributing Tk 8 crore to influence the December 30 national election and instigate violence.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sarafuzzaman Ansari passed the order after CID Inspector Ashraful Islam and also the investigation officer of the case, produced Apu before it with a 10-day remand prayer.

On the other hand, the defence submitted a petition seeking bail along with cancellation of the remand prayer saying that Apu was implicated in the case as part of a conspiracy to harass him politically.

General Recording Officer and also Sub-Inspector Jalal Uddin told The Daily Star that Apu was sent to jail as he was ill. Subject to his recovery from illness, he would be on remand for interrogation.

On January 4, Rapid Action Battalion arrested Apu, former assistant personal secretary to BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, from Dhaka's United Hospital where he had been undergoing treatment since December 24.        

He is the fourth accused in the case filed with Motijheel Police Station.

On December 25, Rab detained three people from the capital's Motijheel and Gulshan for allegedly distributing money to influence the national election and instigate violence.

They are Joynal Abedin, Alamgir Hossain and Ali Haider.

Ali is the managing director of United Enterprise and Corporation, while Joynal and Alamgir are employees of Amena Enterprise and Services Trust Ltd, a company owned by Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, who was a Jatiya Oikyafront candidate from Shariatpur-3 constituency. He was defeated in the December 30 election.

The following day, they were placed on a five-day remand each and were sent to jail after completion of their remand on January 1.

The elite force also seized Tk 8 crore and several cheques, worth around Tk 10 crore, from their possession.